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The Barking Dog Brunch

“You have to fly through the hurricane to get up to the clouds,” said Meg, anxious to get to the airport and get back to Atlanta.

“I know you’re going to be a doctor, but I’m not sure you know much about meteorology and weather patterns,” replied her beau.

“I heard it’s an 800-mile radius wide and they’ve evacuated 400,000 people,” I said, something I heard from one of the 50 text messages I’d received that morning from my family.

“What exactly happens in a hurricane?” said my friend Lindsey, who is from North Carolina.

“In Florida, we just have lots of parties,” said Dani, my friend from high school and Florida compatriot.

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“Once, my boat was in our pool,” I added. “Another time, we evacuated to Disney World,” I continued.

“What’s safer, New York or New Jersey?” Carter posed to Dani over my hurricane stories.

And so went the Sandy induced conversation. Everyone was notably on edge, myself included, trying to determine how to get home, or how to prepare their New York homes, before the Frankenpocalpyse hit the East Coast that evening.

Moreover, everyone was noticeably under the weather and exhausted. My closest friends from Washington, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York had all converged in the city for one epic night at Sensation, an enormous all-white dance and techno show that took place the night before. Now, in the light of day, without neon sunglasses, alcohol, epic tunes, and social momentum to blur our realities, we were all grappling with a very scary reality.

Truth be told, I don’t think any of us remember much about the food at Barking Dog. It was a diner nearby our respective Midtown homes and NYC outposts. We all arrived, hair wet, leggings on, shoveled food into our mouths, gave one another quick hugs and words of concern, then took off to Penn Station, the bus station, the airport, and the grocery store to stock up on water, candles, and non-perishable food.

As for the food, it was good for a diner: the menu was expansive, the omelets good and hearty, and the hash browns oily and delicious. Eggs, toast, and hash browns, are all reliable options at most diners and at this one in particular.

However, the biscuits were dry and hard, and the fruit not-so-fresh or edible– after Lindsey expressed skepticism about hers, I didn’t touch mine.

My pancakes, however, are the true success story of the Barking Dog. Enormous, perfectly cooked banana pecan pancakes served with a buttery cinnamon sauce. So, you can tack on pancakes to the list of things Barking Dog does well: eggs, toast, hash browns, and pancakes. Oh, and the coffee was good. So, a reliable diner.

The Bitches say: C+. Fine for a diner, but I’m confident New York has a lot better diner options. A good bet if you’re in the neighborhood, however.

Barking Dog has locations in MidTown, The Upper East Side, Murray Hill, and Greenwich Village.